Abiotic stresses alter plant development through induction of biochemical, molecular and physiological modifications. Intensity and occurrence of these stresses are predicted to increase following climate changes. Abiotic stress tolerance can be improved thanks to Beneficial microorganisms (BMO) but this protection is also, in turn, affected by environmental factors.

Our goal is to study how abiotic stresses impact plant innate immunity, notably when they are simultaneously challenged with pathogens, elicitors or BMOs. In this framework, we focus on carbon metabolism as a key provider of energy or signalling molecules to innate immunity (follow-up of respiration, photosynthesis, measurement of key metabolites and enzymes…).

Our key biological questions

• How abiotic stress affect sugar metabolism, whereas their role is to supply energy or act as signaling molecules?
• How abiotic stress affect plant response to pathogens? To elicitors or BMOs?
• What are the connections between abiotic and biotic signaling response pathways?

Our key results

Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN reduces cold-induced damages on Arabidopsis (Su et al. 2015) and grapevine (Theocharis et al. 2012), mainly through modulation of carbon metabolism (Fernandez et al. 2012a ; Fernandez et al. 2012b).

Two cultivars, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir, with distinct floral abortion sensitivity, show different photosynthesis regulation during floral development (Sawicki et al. 2015a, Sawicki et al. 2015b).

Grapevine leaf and flower differentially adapt their carbon metabolism during Botrytis cinerea infection (Vatsa-Portugal et al. 2015).